To Love Someone

chapter 23

Taking a deep breath, April was able to calm herself and keep her dinner in her stomach. It was important now, especially with the baby. She rubbed a hand on her still flat tummy. A life was growing in her. A child to call her mother. She sighed happily and wore her night dress before sitting to remove the pins from her hair, and Arla brushed it.

“So, I take it you are happy about the pregnancy," Arla said quietly.

“Of course I am. Should I not be?” April asked still smiling.

“Of course my queen. You have every right to be happy…but, have you told him?” she asked, and April sighed.

“No. we had another argument, and I didn’t get the chance to tell him.”

“I understand. But I think you should let him know soon. He should not have to hear it from a third party. Your sister already knows, including Marge and Karen, and that’s a lot of people,” Arla said.

And that was why April loved her. Though she was young, she was wise. And April found herself telling the girl things she could not tell Judith. Arla braided her hair loosely, and when she was done, April turned in her seat to face her, and took her hand, “Thank you for being there for me, for being my friend," April whispered gratefully.

“No, thank you, your highness, for considering me trustworthy enough," Arla said, and April got up to hug her. She curtseyed and left, leaving her to herself.

April turned and added a log to the fire. The windows were closed, but the cold still found a way to seep in, she did not want to wake up frozen the next day. Laying in bed, she curled herself into a ball and closed her eyes. She promised herself she would tell Ian the next time she saw him. With that thought in mind, she slept off.

                                                     ***********

Someone was brushing her hair and placing soft kisses all over her face and neck. April groaned and lifted her hand to swat at the person, and he chuckled. She groggily opened her eyes to see Ian leaning over her staring at her, the hint of a smile o his face. Her arms were wrapped around his neck. How had that happened?

She smiled at him and yawned stretching lazily. “is it morning already?” she asked.

“Yes. Good morning love,” Ian said with a smile.

April felt warm and fuzzy inside at the name ‘love’. She froze as he leaned down to kiss her, and she quickly turned away, “morning breath. Trust me, you do not want to kiss that.”

In response, he grabbed her jaw and kissed her swiftly. It was sweet kind of kiss. The type that made her melt under his touch. His lips left hers to trail kisses all over the column of her neck.
“what put you in such a good mood this morning,”she asked breathlessly.

“You,” he said kissing lower. He pulled her nigh dress over her head and threw it to the side as he continued his assault of kisses to her body. His lips found her hard nipples, and he sucked in them, earning a whimper from her. He smiled as he went lower till he was at her heat. He spread her legs and looked up at her with a smirk.

Her eyes widened as she realised what he intended to do.” No wait! Stop. You can’t do that,” surely what he was about to do was forbidden. She gasped as his tongue gently flicked her heat. He had not even started, and she was already thrashing about the bed. He wondered what would happen when he finally touched her with his full mouth.

He licked up her slit slowly before closing his mouth around her. She let out a guttural moan and tried to close her legs, but he held them firmly apart. He skillfully sucked on her, his tongue probing every now and then. April took a pillow and pressed it into her face to stifle her scream. It did not take long for her to find her release, and he happily lapped it up.

Ian laughed as he came up and found the pillow covering still covering her face. He removed it and kissed her, making her taste herself on his lips then lay back. She placed a small dainty hand on his stomach, her head on his arm. Silence ensued between them, a comfortable kind of silence.

They just lay still, silently enjoying each others company.
Ian closed his eyes before speaking. “she was my wife,” he said quietly, and April tensed. “The woman in the portraits, the one you wanted to know about, she was my wife. Myrcella was her name.”

April lay shocked. Of all the things she had imagined, she had not expected her to be his wife. She had thought that maybe it was his mother that died early, or a missing sister, but not his wife. She was even more surprised that he was willing to talk about it. Especially after their previous argument. But the pain in his voice was heart breaking. She stayed silent as he talked, not wanting to interrupt him.

“Myrcella was a nice girl. She got along with everyone, fairly speaking. We were friends since childhood, we knew everything about each other. We had been married for more than a year when she disappeared two years ago. She did not give any indication that something was wrong, did not leave a note, didn’t tell anyone where she was going, just up and left. Disappeared. She was my life, my best friend, and I loved her more than anything in this world. I loved her,” he said breaking down.

April sat up and drew him into her arms and held his head to her bosom as he cried.
It was obvious that even after all these years, the news of her disappearance still hurt him. It hurt her that it still hurt him. That he hadn’t forgotten about her, that she still lingered in his mind. She kissed his forehead and stroked his hair and tried to comfort him.

Trying not to dwell on the fact that she was comforting him over the loss of another woman he had loved. She hated her. Myrcellas memory was always going to be a problem in her marriage. She was like a black hole in their lives. Anytime she saw anything belonging to her, it was a reminder that her husband loved another woman, not her.

“After she left,” Ian continued.

Oh great, we are still talking about her, April thought bitterly.

“I was broken. I searched for her, but to no avail. It was like she just disappeared off the surface of the earth. I was in a bad place after that, and that was when I met Freyr. She came some months after. She was just a distraction. There is nothing between us anymore.”

“I know,” April said softly as she continued to hold him.

“Now tell me wife, do you still love a broken man?” he asked, and she nodded.

“I am sorry about her. I really am. And I want you to know that I am here now, I am not going anywhere. I wont leave you ever, I promise,” April smiled sadly, and she meant every word she said. She couldn’t resist adding, “I love you Ian.”

He raised his head from her shoulder where it rested and gave her a sad smile, “I know you do love, I know.” He kissed her forehead and held her close to him.

April wasn’t angry that he didn’t say it back. She was happy that he trusted her enough to bare his soul to her. And she loved him even more for it. All she had to do was love him and make him see that he could love her too. She hugged him back and made a silent promise to help heal his broken heart. Even if it took forever.

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